The Gospel According to Esther, Part 2

These days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city in these days of poor him were not to fail from among the Jews or their their descendents.

Make sure that her forget the promise of God in our deliverance. They were probably talking. Let's call it pouring.

Let's remind ourselves as we celebrate a payment through the dice to find the most propitious day to what is not. We also need to acknowledge that death is not the end. That's true for both Christians and unbelievers is one of two destinations in store for every person. Those destinations are heaven or hell, through the power of the gospel, God makes salvation possible and that offer is to all people today on wisdom for the heart. Stephen Devi is concluding his series from the book of Esther. Keep listening. Stephen brings you the conclusion to his message called the gospel according to Esther there is another analogy in the gospel of Esther is simply holding intercession of Esther.

After three days of solitude. Esther suddenly appears without any introduction. She suddenly standing the presence of the king, she intercedes on behalf of. She willingly risks her life to save the life of her own people. And if I die well, I discovered that many Jewish rabbis and scholars have believed that the three days of solitude experienced by Esther are mysteriously going to the three days of Jonah inside the whale and for those of us who believe the gospel of Christ.

We know that is the sign of the three days and nights in two followed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jewish tradition has taught for centuries that the dead. This is what the Bible teaches. This is Jewish tradition that the dead will come to life three days after the start of the final judgment and they get that from misinterpretation of Hosea chapter 6 and verse two injuries after two days he will revive us on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence, but one is correctly interpreted from that text is this wonderful picture of the economy and the dying and the resurrected Jesus Christ. After three days in the tomb after experiencing the wrath of God the father on the cross.

And here's where the analogy breaks down, not risking his life but getting all her his life. He now stands before the father petitioning on our behalf. Martin Luther, the reformer wrote of this same gospel analogy. I call him translated from German to read in English on the third day after judgment transpired on the cross, Jesus Christ arose guaranteeing safety to enter God's presence to wall reach out in faith to touch the scepter of the key which is in the shape of a cross screw is father gladly received the petition of the sun based upon his cross work intercession on so that Jesus could say, by the way, no one comes by me. There was another analogy in the gospel according to Esther and it would be that this edict of life. Earlier I converse many of you know what I her children say, but only put in the first part of for the wages of sin is what death that's the year revocable edict, but the verse doesn't stop there. Once the very next word, but the wages of sin is death, but what a wonderful, wonderful word that the great conjunction, but changes everything. In fact, if you're if you're talking to someone what comes after. They say, but is what really matters. Your boss calls you in the end of the day since you and I just want to tell you that that was a great job but now you really listen your girlfriend because you and says I really enjoyed being with you and all but that means you're free to move about the country man. I hated to hear my mother when I was in fourth grade to get that phone and hear her say is ringing hello well hello Mrs. Jolley I knew for me, because Mrs. Jolley was it big tattletale that for me maybe to client because your position. I really enjoy doing business with you these last five years, but Dr. calls you and says everything looks good. Listen, whatever comes after that little word matters a lot more than anything that came before. Right. In fact, the latter has power to know the former, and in this case. This little word becomes a hinge word upon which eternity swings with the wages of sin is death, violence free gift of God is eternal life – but life in here will need death by a forever lasting life to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross is even now interceding for us. Jesus Christ said it this way. I love it the way he summarize both edicts.

He said I am the resurrection and the life he that believes in me will live, even though he dies. John 1125 can avoid the death, is your revocable but all of us can by faith in Jesus Christ our Messiah experience. The notifying eternally nullifying edict of death through this edict of life and when that comes into your life. When he you have peace. The battle is over effect if you skip ahead look at chapter 10. The last verse is describing to us the glory of Mordecai in his new position of influence our were told in the latter part of verse three. Note that that he was seeking the good of his people and knows this, and one who he was one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation, the one who spoke for the welfare literally that phrase, the one who spoke shalom. The Hebrew word, the one who spoke peace.

What a great way to summarize the interceding word about Esther and Mordecai on behalf of their people. What a great way to demonstrate the gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace to listen. There isn't peace anywhere on the planet before very long, except in one place inside the heart of the person has been redeemed by Christ and reconciled to God. I don't mean in that you have some never-ending state of ecstasy or some kind of happy thrill every day you climb out of bed and it just get better and better.

I mean peace said no secure reconciled status.

God is no longer your against you finds he is now your friend friend because of Christ sing the words of the hymn before the throne of God above, I have strong perfect plea a great high priest's name is love whoever lives my name is graven on his hands. My name is written on his heart I know that while in heaven he stands. Note tone can bid me since the part when Satan tempts me to despair tells me of the guilt within upward. I look and see him there made an end to all my sin because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free for God to just satisfy to look on him. Christ pardon me to look on him part is the gospel of Christ bring peace to their flock of these last few months have been so fruitful I'm hearing reports from so many different places within our ministry of of reconciled redeemed individuals placing their faith in Christ. One gentleman in our church told me just a couple weeks ago that he worked in New York for Wall Street financially and professionally. Successful's office looked out over the twin towers. He told me as we sat in my office that on 9/11.

He saw everything so both planes, crash saw the towers. This successful unbelieving middle-aged businessman eventually made it home. He and his wife decided life as they knew it wasn't really worth living. This dear Chinese couple raised in Buddhism said they decided to move they sold everything and moved to North Carolina they begin the search for spiritual answers the religion and help them so they decided search out ours and they went from church to church and even more churches.

Finally, this past year they visited here, and I asked him I interacted in my soul. Why did you stop visiting.

Why did you stay here, he said, well, I couldn't describe it any other way than saying like when we came in here and sat down.

Sentenced peace. They listened intently. After a few months sitting press were your seated at the end of the service of the closing prayer he gave his life to Christ, his wife began taking Bible study growing understanding of the gospel. We pray together in my office for her.

Just last Sunday came down to introduce her to me.

She said I'm ready to place my faith in Christ, and we pray that she did just that couple of weeks ago, our sports ministries director told me how he had just partnered with another local church and share our passion for the making, and they they had organized a dozen teams of adult men for flag football tournament disclosed organize murderers, you most of the men were unaffiliated with any church that was the reason following maternity towing. One of the leaders gave his testimony personal faith in Jesus Christ, explaining the gospel explaining the claims of the end of the program. 22 men accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and a great praise God for that.

I want to know as well coming 30s so far are ready to state their identification with Jesus Christ through baptism and we had several individuals pray during the semester to receive Christ as their Savior. Ladies and gentlemen, the gospel brings peace not externally. It doesn't bring an easy life fact, it makes it harder because now the stakes are so high, so much higher now you wrestle with sin. Now you struggle with conviction.

Now you search the Scriptures to define the nature of this invisible God.

But you know when you fill your head. There is peace between you and God to give you another analogy I know were getting close to time here, but I want to look at verse 26 third chapter 9 is an enduring reminder of deliverance to me say a few things about Purim. This refers to the letters written by both Esther and Mordecai notice verse 26 therefore they call these days Purim after the name of poor and because of the instructions in this letter both what they'd seen in this regard.

What happened to the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendents and for all those who allied themselves so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days. According to the regulation and according to their appointed time annually for 20 so these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city in these days of Purim were not fail from among the Jews were there already fade from their descendents. Make sure that her forget humans let's make a memorial to the promise of God in our deliverance.

They were probably talking only medical only thing that you and it was only after let's call it pouring poor, which means lots dice. Let's remind ourselves as we celebrate a payment through the dice to find the most propitious day to wipe us off the plane but celebrate the feast days Purim days of great joy that we discover the wonderful use of this name. In fact, we English people use it. We refer to the lottery, we refer to our allotment in life. We talk about our lot in life going David to Psalms use the same word found Ernesto when he read Lord you've assigned me my portion and my, you have made my lots secure. In other words, even the role of the dice is determined by the sovereignty of God is not such thing as chance. There's not one strand find itself outside the ultimate purposes of God. So because of that days Purim could become days in celebration and joy in the Jews gathered to this day to hear the reading of the Esther scroll. That's our plan next Lord's day will edit it down to about 10 minutes when the Jews get the chapter 3 what author said while this breaks out with was can happen in here. The audience delights in the sound of Haman's name booing and hissing and stamping their feet. Many will write payment on the soles of their of their shoes as they stamp their feet. This is what we gonna do. This is about as charismatic as really allowed me back to normal. They shared gifts and we got a gift for you.

Let me quickly wrap up our study of this wonderful book with with a couple two or three principles over arcing through you asked me to summarize the entire book. This would be number one.

The providence of God reflects his grace and ought to be written, we tend to build memorials in our minds to bed bad days that relationships bad decision. Take time to remember good good decision.

Good service, the good hand of God upon so maybe starting a journal or maybe making a list. Maybe the next time you talk to a friend finding something in the day. The truth is the enemy of our souls loves to taunt us with past failures, past disappointments, past wrongs, past calamities turning as one author set our lives. The 1 Dark Long Dark Tunl. with no lights. It is the truth brings light.

We got a letter a couple weeks ago from a woman who written us listening to us on the radio. She said I have decided to take my life. She said I had experienced years of one tragedy after another fact, she had 21 major surgeries in a row.

She said my mother died. My last living relative, and even though I was a believer, I was in a tunnel was no hope, and I decided in my life that I got up on that fateful day.

I turn on the radio and and I caught your program and change my mind. So this O would you get the news to that preacher that I decided to live gospel brings life build my humans to those kinds of you has ever occurred unit. I thought about as I was reading the biography of of Orville and Wilbur, it occurred to me that monuments were never built in places where they failed and it's it's close to lunch like I thought something in this is where Orville and Wilbur tried to flip and was the picnic. No where they succeeded, why is it that we build monuments where we fail and we make the matter God allows us good success.

We that those in same.

The providence of God reflects his grace and we will do a better job.

Remember, secondly, the providence of God is spiritually discerned all the widely ignored you go to the last chapter of the book of Esther and verse one and it tells us what happened after all these wonderful events, but they're not getting a hazardous late attribute that is a tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. After all this happened, remarkable deliverance.

He discovers his wife is a joyous, he's introduced what God who so wonderfully redeems them and delivers them that many of the Persians become proselyte Jews in the keys going now what do I want to do next is my life in a change. I know tax no revival, no conversion, no impact. The promise of God comes and goes, I don't even see can we be like that to challenging truth for all of the claimant got investor as our Lord. We can go about life as usual, missing one event after another for God's hand holding my spirit, we can supplement this alert to not settle for the way the world talks isn't that a wonderful coincidence. Look at what just happened. God is continuing to move us in this world toward his final and ultimate purposes, which please him and fulfill his will and I want to make one more second to the last point Esther had no idea when she wasn't crowded there was a greater issue, not a greater issue but another inch. Another event it's easy to miss.

She had no idea that God would bring about in his perfect timing. The death of her husband who would be assassinated in order to bring to the throne.

Hazardous is so keen by the wife who would have a similar experience. See one of his trusted officials will one day stand before him going against court protocol risking his life because sadness is all over his face. A Jewish man by the name of Nehemiah and the king would show him great favor.

The Bible tells us a Nehemiah chapter 2 that the Queen was sitting with the king that would've been highly unlikely that we've learned already from Persian history that it was in the practice of the Persian court to include being the Queen stated her corners until she was summoned to not do so would risk her own life and she certainly didn't see on a throne near to the throne of the king, which is when others including myself, to believe that this is a reference to the Queen mother, the wife of the former king who would have been none other than Esther so when this Jewish man they Nehemiah stepped forward and asked the king's favor.

No doubt influenced by Esther Jewett's. He said not only will I allow you to go but I'll give you a blank check. It's on Esther's influence would continue 21 later in influence the return of many of the exiled to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Unless principal and a table ahead of time is Texas where we began to take us all the way back where we started. It simply this providence of God, physically invisible, but it is our ultimate invincible at the end of the book God.

He alone is deserving of all our friends is providence has made certain problems so I Charles Wesley I close with his him the servants of God your master proclaim and tell out of brought his wonderful name that name all victorious Jesus extolled his kingdom is glorious rules over all that good news resonating in our heart we bring this lesson and this series to a close. This is wisdom for the heart. The Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Stephen is also the president of shepherd's theological seminary. If you or someone you know is interested in pastoral ministry. I encourage you to consider studying with Stephen at shepherd's today was the ninth and final lesson in a series through the book of Esther. Today's message is entitled the gospel according to Esther. If you missed any of the lessons in this series, you can go to wisdom online.org to listen again. We've also taken the entire series and packaged it into a set of CDs. This would make a great addition to your personal library of biblical resources. It also makes a great gift if you know someone who could benefit from having this series if you'd like information give us a call today. Be sure and ask about the book that Stevens written, also called Esther the phone number here in our North Carolina office is 86 648 Bible once again that's 86 648 Bible or 866-482-4253.

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